1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a suspension system for supporting a cabinet door. More particularly, the present invention relates to a door slide system for the support of a door in a closed position, and allowing it to traverse to an open position, and thereafter, allowing it to be retracted into a position with at least a portion in a cabinet, in a state where it can be retrieved and restored to the fully open position and then ultimately to a closed position once again.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, entertainment centers have become modified and, in particular, one type of entertainment center has evolved into a fairly common style of product. This particular type of entertainment center comprises an upright cabinet that may be camouflaged by style and finish to appear as though it were one of the existing pieces in a bedroom suite or other related articles of furniture in a residence or a hotel.
This cabinet is typified by having a pair of large doors that enclose an opening in the upper part of the cabinet area These doors may be opened and they would reveal a television set or a stereo system that has been conveniently hidden from view until and unless it is desired to be used. Many times, these cabinets air found in hotel rooms where they conveniently combine a series of drawers within the same cabinet, providing utilitarian storage as well as the provisions for the entertainment center.
Because it has been found to be desirable to keep the components of the entertainment center out of sight when not in use, the doors that are found on such cabinets provide an important function of concealment. As the design of this type of cabinetry evolved, it was not satisfactory to have the doors merely hinged onto the sides of the cabinet walls since they could rotate back into a semi-closed or fully closed position obscuring the entertainment center.
As a result, suspension systems for hanging the doors were developed that allowed the doors to traverse into the interior of the cabinet into a so-called “pocket” space in parallel alignment with the cabinet walls. The suspension systems have typically been based upon the usage of slide technology, notably precision slide technology, such as those found in office furniture applications and the like. In the case of the door applications, however, it is necessary to use a modified slide in a way that allows the door to be mounted to a portion of a sliding element, while at the same time allowing it to hinge when it reaches the fully opened position. In this manner, the functionality of the suspension system provides both an opening and closing relationship relative to the door and the hinge, as well as a transitioning action between a forward position and a rear position within the cabinet body.
These doors have now become known euphemistically as pocket doors and the slide suspension system that supports them in these applications has earned the moniker of pocket door slide.
A number of pocket door slide systems have been known in the prior art, including the Accuride 1332/1432 version (U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,912) which utilizes the components of the precision slides in the manner described above. However, it also utilizes a cable system to keep the door itself oriented correctly through all phases of the operation. The tendency of the door to sag or to deflect has been a problem in the industry, and the Accuride 1332/1432 is one attempt to solve this problem. The deflection or sagging of the pocket door in the installation has been exacerbated over time for the reason that the users of the entertainment systems have sought to install larger and larger componentry. This results in the need for a larger door, which brings along with it additional weight as well as height and width, all of which increases the loading on the pocket door slide tremendously. At present, the desire for increasing the load carrying capacity of the pocket door slide appears to continue to increase over time and the solutions that were brought forth previously by way of prior art are ill equipped to handle this ever increasing problem.